KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has implemented a comprehensive work rotation involving all its personnel as a major step to strengthen integrity and ensure a transparent work culture at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
KLIA Customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said the implementation of the work rotation was part of the department's efforts to maintain officers' accountability and discipline in facing challenges, including corruption and international syndicates.
Apart from the work rotation, the department has also strengthened its whistleblower protection policy to protect the identity of individuals who report any officer misconduct.
"Other measures include the implementation of regular urine tests to ensure officers are free from the influence of drugs, as addiction to illegal substances has been identified as a cause that can undermine an officer's integrity.
"The use of body cameras among airport operations officers has also shown a positive impact when the statistics of complaints from passengers and the community have been found to be decreasing," he said as a guest on Bernama Radio's 'Jendela Fikir' programme today.
Commenting on the monitoring mechanism, Zulkifli emphasised the effectiveness of the surprise visit initiative personally led by Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, who has made 88 visits to various Customs stations so far.
"These surprise visits are not intended to find faults, but rather as an early preventive measure to detect risks and problems of officers," he said.
Meanwhile, the 2026 World Customs Day celebration on Monday (January 26) at the Cyber Event Hall in Cyberjaya will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Zulkifli added that this year, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) has adopted the theme ‘Customs Protecting Security Through Vigilance and Commitment’ to reflect the department’s increasingly broad and challenging role in the fast-moving, complex global trade landscape.
